Russia blocks UN ‘declaration of alarm’ on Syria’s Qusayr

Russia has reportedly blocked a ‘declaration of alarm’ by the United Nations Security Council over the situation in Syria’s strategic town of Qusayr.

The draft, which was presented by the UK, voiced “grave concern about the situation in Qusayr.”

Western diplomats say Russia rejected the resolution because the UN had failed to release a statement when Qusayr was seized by foreign-backed militants in Syria.

Such UN statements need unanimous agreement of the Security Council.

According to the diplomats, Moscow once again insisted that the best way to resolve the Syrian crisis was “through intensive diplomacy.”

Qusayr is located near Syria’s border with Lebanon and is now mostly under the control of the Syrian army.

The United Nations has called for a ceasefire in Qusayr.

UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos and UN human rights commissioner Navi Pillay said in a joint appeal on Saturday, “We understand there may also be as many as 1,500 wounded people in urgent need of immediate evacuation for emergency medical treatment, and that the general situation in al-Qusayr is desperate.”

Hundreds of militants have reportedly arrived in Qusayr to counter the Syrian government forces, who backed by the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, have made major gains in the fighting.

The Syrian Army proceeded its operations in several areas across the country, as it confiscated two cylinders of Sarin Toxic gas used by foreign-backed militants in the city of Hama.

Official news agency, SANA, reported on Sunday that the Syrian Army tightened its control over Damascus-Homs Highway near Harasta city, as it inflicted major losses on the armed groups who were attacking the towns in the area.

The agency quoted an official source as saying that “an army unit clashed with an armed terrorist group in the neighboring farms to al-Miliha town and killed the majority of its members, whereas another army unit destroyed a fortification for the armed groups to the west of al-Shifonia town.”

The source pointed out that two heavy machineguns were destroyed to the east of al-Zabadani city and some 20 militants from so-called “Ahrar al-Sham battalion” were killed.

In Aleppo’s Khan al-Assal, an army unit clashes with militants near Indomie factory killing most of them, among them snipers, while another unit killed leaders of the armed groups in al-Shaar area and destroyed their weapons and ammunition, SANA quoted another official source as saying.

The source added that two 23mm anti-aircraft machineguns and a number of Nusra Front dens were destroyed in Handarat, in the vicinity of Aleppo Central Prison.

The agency also reported that the Syrian Army has delivered several blows to the armed groups in several areas of Deir Ezzor, Hama and Lattakia.

Sarin Cylinders in Hama
Meanwhile, the Syrian army seized two cylinders of the nerve agent sarin during an operation in the city of Hama.

Syrian media say the operation was carried out against a militant hideout in the city’s al-Faraieh neighborhood on Saturday.

Sarin is a colorless, odorless liquid gas which causes respiratory arrest and death. The poisonous agent has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction in UN Resolution 687.